Richard Branson’s luxury Necker Island home ‘devastated’ by Irma

Billionaire Richard Branson has revealed his luxury Necker Island home has been “completely and utterly devastated” by Hurricane Irma.

The Virgin founder posted a video to social media in the aftermath of the storm, showing trees snapped and ripped from their roots and structures collapsed.

Branson used the video to appeal for aid to the British Virgin Islands.

Before the damage: Sir Richard Branson's luxury home, on Necker Island, in the Caribbean. (AAP) ()

Necker Island is part of the territory. He himself sat out the category five hurricane in his underground concrete wine cellar.

“Much of the buildings and vegetation on Necker has been destroyed or badly damaged. But British Virgin Islands Hurricane #Irma story is not about Necker - it is about the tens of thousands of people who have lost their homes and their livelihoods. @virginunite is coordinating aid to local BVI families & communities affected - please donate to help http://www.virgin.com/unite/bvi-community-support-appeal,” he posted.

Branson is currently based in Puerto Rico where he is “mobilising recovery with government and aid agencies” before he heads back to the island to help on the ground.

Writing on his website, he said he has “never seen anything like this hurricane”, with doors and windows blown 40 feet away.

“I have never seen anything like this hurricane. Necker and the whole area have been completely and utterly devastated. We are still assessing the damage, but whole houses and trees have disappeared.

“Outside of the bunker, bathroom and bedroom doors and windows have flown 40 feet away. I’m speaking these words from a satellite phone that is just about working, but all other communications are down,” he wrote.

He urged all those who were still in the path of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose to put safety first and prepare “as strongly as possible”.